When it comes to missed opportunities in
terms of creating good films based on DC properties, one of the biggest is
hands down Suicide Squad being the
live action introduction of Harley Quinn. Not only was it a massive
disappointment as a film but wasted a great opportunity of having the ideal
casting of Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and failed to utilize it to their full
potential. Now with DC improving tremendously on their films within the past
few years, could Harley Quinn be redeemed in the DCEU? The answer is yes, as Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation
of One Harley Quinn) is absolutely everything Suicide Squad should have been. It is a completely entertaining and
balls to the wall action flick that adapts Harley Quinn properly into a very
stylized and energetic film despite a few missteps here and there.
A Disjointed Story that Surprisingly Works
The plot centers on Harley Quinn starting
over a new solo life as she ends up in a crime scene lead by mobster Black
Mask. Despite her solo outing, she ends up teaming up with a few other
anti-heroes to take down Black Mask’s gang. Unlike Suicide Squad’s attempt to be a grand and epic blockbuster, Birds of Prey goes for a more grounded
story that’s more or less a straight forward with it being a simple heist film.
One issue that the film does have however is that narratively it can feel a bit
disoriented as it tends to jumble around constantly in terms of what is being
focused on. As the plot gets going there are moments where it tends to halt
everything and goes on a tangent regarding character backstory which can feel a
little much at points because it doesn’t feel like it is as focused as a
typical movie like this should be. However, it ends up kind of working when you
consider that the film is told through Harley’s perspective and because of her
insane personality, the all over the place narrative does kind of work in its
favor. It isn’t as distinct as other movies that jump around with its plot, but
it fortunately isn’t too hard to follow and still manages to be fun. It has a
very over the top tone in regards to humor and violence and while it’s not the
funniest film in comic book history, it’s still incredibly fun with consistent
chuckles and humor that does work very well.
It is not a complicated movie to understand even with its weird
narrative moments and instead ends up being an enjoyable action romp featuring
some a really good cast of characters.
A True Proper Introduction to Harley Quinzel
A true testament to the entertainment Birds of Prey has are the characters,
because it is a great cast and for the most part are used to their full
potential. Characters like Black Canary and Renee Montoya serve as solid
supporting characters being a part of some decent action sequences and even
having a fun character moment here and there. Some might be critical on the
portrayal of characters like Cassandra Cain and Black Mask in regards to
changes from their original comic book counterpart; however both characters
still serve the story decently. McGregor as Black Mask, while not completely
like the original character, entertaining as hell by stealing so much screen
time during every sequence he is in, making the character incredibly fun and
campy to watch. Another strong highlight is easily Mary Elizabeth Winstead as
Huntress, who may not have a whole lot of screen time, but all is forgiven due
how incredibly bad-ass this character is. She has the most arch and even is
pretty funny having some great chemistry with the rest of the cast. Though the
real star of the show is by far Harleen Quinzel herself as unlike in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey is truly
the Harley Quinn movie we deserve. Not only is Harley fully realized as a
character here with so much, but Margot Robbie portrays the Joker’s iconic
girlfriend very faithfully being insane, funny and having a ton of charisma.
The main downside to her character is that the film truly should have been
titled Harley Quinn as opposed to Birds of Prey due to the fact the film
is truly centered on her as opposed to the Birds
of Prey themselves. It does lead to more of a Harley Quinn movie than a
Birds of Prey one with the core center being around her journey. However at the same time, it’s not too big of
a deal due to the fact that the Birds of Prey while secondary are still fun to
watch and it serves as a good Harley Quinn movie, creating for a faithful and
exciting film that truly stays true to its main character.
A Stylistically Balls to the Wall Film
If you’re
going to make a movie about Harley Quinn, a good idea would be to create a film
with a ton of style and energy to it, and fortunately Birds of Prey is exactly that. Cathy Yan’s direction on this film
is fairly fast paced with numerous action sequences that are well shot and have
neat concepts to them. Every single character has a bad-ass moment during some
of the action sequences with a good amount of quality stunt work and kills. It
also helps that the film is very well shot being incredibly bright and colorful
to match the zany over the top nature the film has to offer. Plus, the film isn’t
afraid to utilize other stylistic choices such as character introduction text
much like in Suicide Squad but done
better and even incorporating some 2-D Animation in some sequences. It makes
for a very vibrant and engaging that is totally appropriate for a character as outrageous
as Harley Quinn.
Another Great Female
Centric Comic Book Film from DC
Even
despite its misplaced title and some odd narrative choices, Birds of Prey is an enjoyable comic book
film that DC absolutely deserves. With its stylistic direction, great cast and
fun take on Harley Quinn; Birds of Prey will
most definitely satisfy those who are looking for another solid DC film to add.
Considering that this film has come out just a few months after Joker, it’s wonderful to see not only
Mr. J receive a good modern film with him but also his former partner in crime
as well. This is the film Harley Quinn deserves and hopefully is just another
peak into the bright future DC has ahead of them.
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